AppFlowy vs Outline: which one to choose in 2026?
Both are open source alternatives to Notion. We compare license, tech stack and features to help you decide which fits your team best.
Quick answer: AppFlowy is an all-in-one workspace (notes, databases, Kanban) under a real AGPL-3.0 license. Outline is a more focused team wiki under BUSL-1.1 (not OSI). If you only need documentation, Outline is more direct; if you want a full Notion replacement, AppFlowy covers more ground.
| AppFlowy | Outline | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BUSL-1.1 |
| GitHub stars | ~59k | ~30k |
| Tech stack | Rust, Flutter, PostgreSQL | Node.js, React, PostgreSQL, Redis |
| Replaces | Notion | Confluence, Notion |
AppFlowy has more GitHub stars, which usually indicates a larger community (not necessarily that it's the best option for your use case).
AppFlowy
Notes and database workspace, the open source alternative to Notion.
Pros
- Noticeably better performance with large documents
- No artificial limits on blocks or members
- Self-hostable with full control of your data
Things to consider
- Plugin ecosystem still smaller than Notion's
- AGPL-3.0: a strong copyleft license, with source-sharing obligations for covered modified versions and certain network use, under its terms
Outline
Fast, elegant team wiki, an alternative to Confluence.
Pros
- Very polished interface, fast team adoption
Things to consider
- BUSL-1.1 license restricts offering it as a competing SaaS
Key features
AppFlowy
- Notion-style block editor with databases
- Local-first mode, works offline
- Native apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android
- Plugins and open API
Outline
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Instant search
- Collections and team permissions
Already know which one you prefer?
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Go to Stack BuilderFrequently asked questions
AppFlowy or Outline: which is closer to Notion?
AppFlowy, because it combines notes, databases, and Kanban boards in one workspace, just like Notion. Outline is more focused on team documentation in a wiki style, with no databases or boards.
What license does each use?
AppFlowy is AGPL-3.0, a real OSI license. Outline is BUSL-1.1, not OSI-recognized even though its code is public.
Which one needs fewer services to self-host?
AppFlowy Cloud (AppFlowy's self-hosting path) only needs PostgreSQL. Outline needs PostgreSQL and Redis — one more service to maintain.